Knockdown sectional bookcase.



PATENTED JAN. v, 1908.

\ F. B. MOORE. KNOGKDOWN SECTIONAL BOOKGASE.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.18,1906.

. FRANK B. MOORF, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

KNOCKD OWN SE CTIONAL BOOKCASE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, 1908.

Application filed October 18, 1905. Serial No. 233.217.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. Moons, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of l/Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Sectional Bookcases and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in knockdown furniture and more especially to sectional cases which are built up of a number of units, and in which each unit is separable into its component parts.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means for detachably connecting the various parts and maintaining the same in position to provide a cheap and simple device, and to provide the same with certain new and useful features, hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the ac companying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan, and end elevation, of a shelf; Fig. 2 is a plan, an elevation of the inner side, and an elevation of the rear side of an end section; Fig. 3 is a front and side elevation of the back.

Similar letters refer to throughout the several views.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, I provide each shelf at either end with outwardly projecting truncated cones, a, made of metal or other suitable material, each cone being attached to the shelf by means of a screw through a hole in its center, and having its smaller end adjacent to the shelf. The adjacent and abutting edges of the end sections, as shown in Fig. 2, are provided with laterallyopening recesses l), I), adapted to engage the cones and of the same contour therewith, except that the said recesses are somewhat deeper than the height of the cones. It will be seen that these cones provide a simple and effective means for connecting and alining the end sections to each other and for supporting the shelves and holding the ends of the case in parallel vertical planes. The cones by rea son of being on screws may be adjusted by drawing the same closer to the shelf or by releasing the screws so as to allow the cones to recede from the shelf and thus by reason of their slanting surfaces and the shape of the recesses allow for any shrinkage or swelling similar parts in the material of which the case is composed. Of course, these conical tenons may be made with a screw integrally attached thereto at the smaller end, and the adjustment maybe made by simply turning the tenon with the figures. These cones being attached to the shelf with their smaller ends adjacent thereto, it will be seen that the action of gravity upon the bookcase will tend through the pressure on these cones to draw the end sections of the case closer to the shelves, thus making a section with snugly fitting members.

To hold the shelves and end sections perpendicular to each other and to lend rigidity to the entire structure, I provide each section with an orthogonal back whose lateral edges are adapted to be inserted in the rab- .bets, O, provided therefor on the inner side of each end section at the rear, and whose upper and lower edges engage corresponding rabbcts, l), on the under and upper sides of each shelf respectively. These backs as shown in Fig. 3 are provided on their lateral edges with outwardly projecting hooks, c, pointing upwards, adapted to engage a pin, I, inserted in a deepened portion of the rabbet, 0, in each end section.

In assembling a sectional bookcase cmbodying my invention a shelf is first placed upon a base which is adapted to receive the cones and to hold the shelf. A back is then inserted in the upper groove on the shelf and an end section is placed so that its lower edges shall abut throughout their entire length against the base and so that the recesses in the lower side of the end section shall engage the tenons on the shelf, and the pin in the rabbet shall engage the hook on the back. he opposite end section is then similarly attached. Another shelf is added by inserting the tenons at its endsin the recesses provided therefor along the upper edges of the end sections, and by engaging the shelf with the upper edge of the back by means of the rabbet on the lower side of the shelf. Other members are then added as before until as many sections are built up desired, and the whole is completed by adding a top piece.

I provide each end section with a stud, 9, near its upper outer corners to support a front member or door, and to allow the same to swing pivotally thereon, I also provide strips, 71 extending rcarwardly from these studs and in the same plane therewith on which the doors slide and are supported when open. There are also strips, *6, extending downwardly in the same plane with these studs to engage the door and to prevent the same from swinging inward when closed. Other suitable means for operating these doors may be substituted in place of those shown.

It will be observed that the structure is composed of few parts, that it requires no special fastenings other than such as are attached to the various parts, and that these fastenings are adjustable so as to allow for shrinkage, swelling, or such play as might otherwise be necessary for the assembling of the case. a

I am aware that prior to my invention knockdown sectional bookcases embodying the combination of abutting end sections, having laterally-opening recesses partially in each section and shelves having dove-tail tenons formed on the ends thereof and detachably inserted in said recesses and partially within the respective abutting end sections. I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly; but

I do claim:

1. The combination in a knockdown sectional structure, of abutting end sections having laterally opening conical recesses partially in each section the smaller end being at the opening thereof, and shelves having truncated cones at the ends thereof adapted to be detachably inserted in said recesses and partially within the respective abutting end-sections.

2. In a knockdown sectional bookcase, the combination of a shelf having at its ends outwardly projecting truncated cones, so attached thereto as to permit being adjusted longitudinally along their axes, and abutting end-sections having laterally-opening conical recesses partially in each section adapted to detachably engage the said cones, substantially as described.

3. In a knockdown sectional bool-Tcase, the combination of a shelf having at its ends outwardly projecting truncated cones, so attached thereto as to permit being adjusted longitudinally along their axes, abutting endsections .having laterally opening conical recesses partially in each section adapted to detachably engage the said cones, a back adapted to engage the shelf and end-sections by means of rabbets, and. hooks at the lateral edges of the backs, adapted to engage pins in the rabbets of the end-sections, substantially as described.

4. In a knockdown sectional bookcase, the

combination of a shelf having at its ends outwardly projecting truncated cones, so attached thereto as to permit being adjusted longitudinally along their arms, abutting endsections having laterally-opening conical recesses partially in each section adapted to detachably engage the said cones, a back adapted to engage the shelf and end-sections by means of rabbets, hooks at the lateral edges of the backs, adapted to engage pins in the rabbets of the end-sections, and means on the end-sections to support and operate a front member or door, substantially as described.

5. In a knock-down structure, a shelf having supporting projections at its ends, said projections being widest at their centers and relatively narrow towards the top and bottom of the shelf, in combination with abutting end pieces formed with adjoining complementary recessed portions, said recessed portions together constituting pockets for the reception of the supporting projections on the ends of the shelf, the pockets being formed complementary to said projections, whereby they are widest at said abutting edges of the end pieces and relatively narrow at their tops and bottoms respectively, whereby to facilitate the entrance and centering of the projections in the recesses and to exert a constant tendency to maintain the end pieces in vertical alinement.

6. In a knockdown structure, the combi nation with abutting end sections formed with adjoining complementary recessed portions together constituting recesses, of a shelf having supporting projections at its ends formed to engage the recesses, and said projections being narrowed or reduced in width toward the top and bottom of the shelf, whereby to facilitate the entrance and seating thereof in the recesses.

7. In a knockdown structure, the combi- FRANK B. MOORE.

\Vitnesses:

GLENN D. FoRsrrEY, VVILLIAM. VAN DYKE. 

